Following the first two public consultation sessions on the international container terminal project in the Beauport sector, QSL has made a positive assessment of the discussions with citizens as part of the Impact Assessment and Mitigation Process (ISAP) led by the Québec Port Authority.
The company welcomes the comments expressed openly and reiterates its commitment to developing an economically structuring project, respectful of the surrounding communities and rigorous on the environmental level.
For QSL, these initial consultations are an important step in a process that will allow us to continue the dialogue with the population, to deepen our knowledge of the potential impacts of the project and to improve, when necessary, the measures envisaged.
“We believe that social acceptability starts with a good project,” said Marie B. Deschamps, Senior Director, Communications and Reporting, QSL. “That’s why our approach is based on three principles: avoid impacts where possible, minimize them and implement appropriate mitigation measures. We are convinced of the relevance of this project and aware of our responsibility to integrate it into its host environment.”
The project will bring goods closer to their final destination by optimizing existing port facilities, reduce long-distance transportation, avoid 25,800 net tonnes of GHGs per year, strengthen supply chains, and generate significant benefits for the Québec City region and Eastern Canada as a whole.
Olivier Rochette, Vice-President, Business Solutions, Infrastructure and Logistics, commented:
“Consultations are an important step because they allow us to hear questions and comments directly from the community. They feed into the work that has already begun and will continue with the study of environmental effects and the voluntary commitments we have made.”
Four voluntary commitments to deepen the assessment
At the project notice stage, QSL voluntarily made four commitments to deepen the analysis of certain components as part of the environmental effects study:
- Local Circulation Modeling Study
- Soundscape study
- Atmospheric dispersion study
- Photometric study
In a context where supply chains and trade are changing rapidly, the diversification of import and export markets, the resilience of supply chains and the competitiveness of businesses are more than ever priorities for Québec.
The international container terminal project is part of this reality by offering additional logistics capacity and by focusing on the significant use of rail transport.
The consultation continues online until October 24, offering everyone the opportunity to contribute to the reflection surrounding the project.
(Photo from QSL)